A couple of weeks ago I wrote a column wondering just where the women wrestlers of the WWE have gone. Well, the same can be asked of Tag Teams and Cruiserweights, and I decided to explore those aspects of wrestling as well. Beginning with the Tag Teams, it hasn’t been all that long ago when there were some really talented and fun teams for us to enjoy. Let me mention a few of these teams, as well as just what has happened to them.
Edge and Christian were certainly a top Tag Team. Who can forget the fact that they “reeked of awesomeness”, and gave us some great five second poses as well. Their arrogance and insults of each city’s major sports team made them a pair that the fans loved to hate, booing wildly each time this duo won yet another match and / or title. I realize that most teams do not stay together forever. The majority of them want opportunities as individuals, for there has never, or ever will be a WWE Championship awarded to two people. Both Edge and Christian have succeeded in making the transition to becoming strong single performers, and deserve it. Be that as it may, it left a void in the Tag Team division.
Just how much fun was it to watch Too Cool? Scotty Too Hotty and Grand Master Sexay danced their way to popularity, displaying some pretty good wrestling along the way. Charismatic and entertaining, these two crowd-pleasers were definitely a good addition to the Tag Teams, and I still miss them. Grand Master Sexay was fired some time back, and Scotty still wrestles with the WWE, although he does not appear on a regular basis.
Whether you refer to them as The Acolytes or the APA, Faarooq and Bradshaw knew how to work a crowd. While they could never be considered the most skilled pair to ever be a part of the Tag Team division, their down and dirty brawling style was well-received by the fans. These two former football players would usually dominate by sheer size and strength, but this was accepted, even expected. Faarooq was let go, and Bradshaw has become a WWE Champion and true superstar as JBL.
T and A, Test and Albert, might not be considered by many of you to be a top team. Actually, I don’t consider them that either, but they are an example of one more team that has been eliminated from any competition. Actually, they have also been eliminated from the WWE, so there you go.
The Hardy Boyz, easily one of the most popular of the, shall I say, present day Tag Teams, brought this division to a whole new level. The Cameron, North Carolina brothers have to be considered the most athletic and outrageous of all, with Jeff being the high-flying leader of the pair. His ability to pull off moves that would leave us holding our breath was second to none. And some of the bumps he took, well, I would swear that he couldn’t get up from them, only to be happily wrong. While Matt was no slouch in this department himself, he would usually leave the extremely risky stuff to his brother. That made no difference in the popularity these two enjoyed, as the Hardy Boyz would create electricity from the time their music started until they had long gone up the ramp and to the back. Unfortunately, Jeff was let go from the company, only to resurface in TNA, but personal problems have followed him there as well. For anyone that doesn’t know – and just where have you been – Matt was also let go, only to be recently rehired, and he will face Edge at SummerSlam in two weeks. I do think that Matt will make it on his own once again, if given the right push. (Yeah, I know, that is always a risk with the WWE!). As for Jeff, all the talent is still there, when he chooses to put it together.
Finally, let me address my favorite Tag Team, The Dudley Boyz. Bubba Ray and D-Von had been doing the same moves for a long time, but the fans never got tired of watching. They just couldn’t wait for the 3D, and the chants for tables began almost from the start of each of their matches. I just love Bubba. He has a fabulous sense of humor, and I found him to be one of the hardest working members of the company. While they could never be considered one of the most athletic pairs when compared to the Hardy’s for example, both of them could pull off some good moves and they most certainly could take more than bump or two. After taking quite a lot of time off, they reappeared at the ECW Reunion show, only to be let go by the WWE. Of all those released, these two upset me the most, and I hope to see them somewhere again soon.
So just where does that leave the WWE? Well, we have Rosey and The Hurricane, and MNM. There was Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio, but I knew that couldn’t last, and it shouldn’t have. Both are way too strong as singles. The Basham Brothers are now separate as well. Am I missing some? Probably. Feel free to let me know. The point is though, that there might as well not be a Tag Team division at all. Teams are thrown together because two men both have something against another. Once that job is done, so is the team. So why bother? I don’t have the answer to that, but I think it’s too bad. It was fun to have teams to cheer for and get excited about, but that’s all gone now. The WWE likes to say that they listen to the fans, but it’s hard to believe that when I look at all the crap that has been presented to us the last several months.
Since this is longer than I expected, I’ll cover the Cruiserweight division next week. Until then…
Be safe and God Bless,
Barb.
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